The Bird or The Cage
by professorprowriting
Summary: Toma and The Heroine finally have time together without all these misunderstandings...
1. Chapter 1

Today was the big day, she thought, clenching her purse. She let out a small smile touch her lips. She and Toma were finally going to spend the day together all alone with the real context of a date. Both of them with their memories, and both of them consenting to this date and no one being held here against their will. She sighed at that. She'll actually kind of miss that.

Being a little nervous about this date, she wondered if she had spent too much time getting ready this morning. She was still there early, but maybe it will show just how desperate she is with her looks? Will it give it away? Quickly she turned around and looked at her reflection in the store window. She tried to mess up her hair a little, but only made it look better. She wanted to look adult and grown up, but not like she was thirsty or something...even though maybe she w-  
"HotDog95!, there you are." A soft voice spoke up from behind her.

Her head whipped around as fast as possible, her cheeks filling the blood as she pushed herself to let out some words. Any words at all! "T-Toma…"

Toma's blond hair blew back as he took a step forward, a finger on his top lip, his eyes inspecting. "HotDog95!," he leaned closer, his eyes darting around her. "Don't you know it's dangerous out here on the street?"

"D-dangerous?" She stuttered out, averting her eyes from his gaze.

"Yes, dangerous." Her removed his hand from his upper lip and clutched her small wrist tightly. "We have to get somewhere more safe." He demanded, pulling her behind him as he took big steps, nearly causing her to trip as she tried to keep up.

"W-where are we going?" She stuttered out, looking at the back of his head.  
Toma shot her a serious look and said, "I told you. Somewhere safe."

He took such big strides, she was panting trying to keep his pace.  
Did he even notice my outfit? What about my hair? Did he even see me? Why was she having these thoughts, anyways? She guess these things don't matter much when her safety is at risk, she supposed...She shouldn't be so selfish. He's only protecting her, after all.

Before she even realized it, they were in front of Toma's house. He had stopped moving, but he had not let go of her hand. She was starting to not be able to feel it...though, she didn't mind. It made her feel cared about. That made her smile.

"Hey, what are you smiling about, HotDog95!? There's danger about." He glared at her, his expression hardening. "This is no time to smile."

She dropped her smile and nodded quickly.

Toma kept a firm grasp on her hand as he pulled out his keys and opened his door, pushing it in and dragging her in with him.

There inside she saw everything she was familiar with. Toma's six games, Toma's bed, the giant cage she was trapped in surrounded by baby toys, Toma's computer, and all of her belongings that Toma had brought over. Her clothes, her phone, her computer. She smiled at the sight. She was happy to be living with Toma. And now that they were living together, he even let her out to go shopping once a week. That's her second favorite time that they are allowed to spend together. Every week, they go shopping for all the essentials. They get snacks, games, makeup, soap and shampoo, and even new underwear and bras. She was actually a little confused because ever since she moved in with Toma, she has a tendency to lose her undergarments in the wash. Perhaps they just got lost between moves. But either way, the weekly underwear shopping is very much a necessity for HotDog95!...She appreciates everything Toma does for her more than she can say. And here he is now, keeping her safe from any danger. Which reminds her.

"Hey, Toma?" She turns to him as he sits on the bed after taking his shoes off and placing them at the front door.

Toma looked up at her, and raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, what is it?"

She held her hands together and stood in front of him at the end of the bed, fiddling with her fingers looking down at him, "What is the danger, anyways?"

"The danger?" He suddenly got a tired look on his face. The face he gets when he really wants to protect her from something dangerous. "Do you even need to ask, HotDog95!?"

She blushed lightly and shook her head, realizing she had misstepped...how would she be able to make this up to Toma…?

Toma sighed and pushed his hair back, and looked at her sullenly, "The danger is the outside, Hotdog95!." He paused a beat for standing up, looming over her at a close distance. "The danger is the outside. Everything bad is out that door."

HotDog95! began turning bright red at the very closeness of their proximity. She backed up a little step, looking down at her feet instead of up at him. "What dangers are there?"

Toma took another step closer and grabbed her hands tightly, pulling her towards him, "All kinds of danger. There is sickness, there is disease, there are trains, cliffs, people pushing you off them, people hitting you in the head with bottles or rocks, scissors, murder, cars, stalkers…" He took a breath silently and leaned into her ear, "And dangerous men."


	2. Chapter 2

I previously got some really rude comments about my story involving hotdog's name. That's very rude but just for you, my loyal readers out there, I will change her name to suit you okay? I hope you're happy.

Chapter 2

"Toma, you look really nice in that." She smiled, laying on her side, an arm under the pillow as she looked at the sparkling love of her life.  
Toma stood in an apron, tied over his everyday clothes, looking a little embarrassed at her comment, "Grandpa, don't say such things…"  
"Why not?" She asked, standing herself up with her hands, crawling closer to Toma from the edge of the bed.  
"Because…" He said, putting the plate he was bringing her down on the coffee table, his face hovering inches from her's. "You never know what saying something like that might make dangerous men do…"

Grandpa let out a laugh and pushed his chest slightly, making him rock back on his heels. "Dangerous? You wouldn't hurt a fly." She mocked him.

"Not dangerous?" His eyes widened. "Grandpa, do you not remember what I did to you?"

"Did _for_ me." She corrected, rolling back on her back, looking at him upside down with a mischievous grin on her face. She knew that this relationship wasn't something that her dad would approve of, given the nature of their intimacy, but no one had to know but them. And besides, she didn't think she could really give it up now that she had it. Even if she had to.

Toma put a hand on the back of his neck, looking up to the ceiling scratching it a little.

"Sure, but that doesn't mean I didn't do some weird stuff…" His face was turning a shade of pink as he thought about all he did during that crazy time…

"I liked it." She said plainly, rolling back over on her stomach.

"You what?" His eyebrows rose.  
"You heard me."

That look crept on his face again. The one that attracted her to him in the first place. Even when they were young, Grandpa saw glimpses of that look on her childhood friend's face. It was something that she never thought Shin saw. And she was sure he never did. In all honesty, that look on his face could be the very reason she loved him as much as she did. And definitely the reason someone as vain and trite as Ikki could never win her heart.

"I did," He paused before putting his palms on either side of her on the bed, "But I just wanted to make sure you said what I heard."  
"Why's that?" She said, her eyes looking up at the striking blond in front of her.

"I wouldn't want to do what I'm about to do to you for a simple misunderstanding." He raised one side of his lip, creating a grim smirk.

She gave the same smirk back and gave her Romeo a quick punch to the thigh, making him barrel over with a groan before she leapt and sprinted out of the room, making her way to the balcony where the large dog cage resided.

She quickly slid into the cage and closed the door, hearing Toma's footsteps come after her.

He swung the balcony door open and his face flushed red as he saw her girlfriend residing in the most arousing place for her to be in; a literal cage.

He started to take off his apron when Grandpa's voice spoke up over the shifting and rustling of his clothes.  
"Leave it on."

His eyebrows furrowed together, "Who are you to tell me what to do?"

"What are you gonna do about any of this? I'm on the porch, outside, in the fresh air, where I'm outside." She gestured to the bright sun she had above her, "Isn't it dangerous out here?"

"Well," He said with a heavy breath, "I am supposed to protect you from the danger…"

She gave a laugh. Even after her memories had returned, and the danger of murder by Ikki fan's had passed, they still liked to play this little game of prison guard cat and captive mouse. This is what made their relationship so unique and...dangerous, as some might say. Some vanillas like Shin or her dad. She knew that no one would understand what they had. Maybe no one besides that underwear salesmen that tends to stalk them…

Toma had no choice but to push up his sleeves and open the cage door. Getting on his hands and knees, he started to crawl in the cage to remove her from this big dangerous world outside.

Just as he got fully inside, Grandpa escaped through the side door that all kennels have.  
And as quickly as Toma had entered, he had been trapped.

Grandpa let out a victorious laugh and locked the exits.

Toma sat in the cage, nodding and sighing, "I guess I do deserve this, don't I?"

Grandpa pulled up a chair and sat beside the cage, looking at the mouse. This time, that was Toma. "Do you?"

"Well, I did keep you in a cage for a long time…" He looked down at the palm of his hands with a hint of regret.

"And I consider it the best 'long time' of my life." She laughed and held up a collar for Toma to wear.  
"I guess I deserve this, too."

"Oh, yes you do."


End file.
